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Advanced Caving Advice?

Kahless61

Posted 08 June 2013 - 06:47 PM

Kahless61

Advanced Member

Contributor

101 posts

Modpack:FTB Ultimate

I've been using FTB for a while, and really enjoy caving, and it can be more efficient than other methods (like quarry). However, when caving, inventory management is a necessity, as with so many different ores, your inventory fills up quickly. Add to that the number of torches you have to carry, and maybe additional tools (for earlier game). Once you run out of room or torches or tools, your expedition is done; you have to find your way back home, restock, and attempt to return to continue. So I'm looking for some advice to make those caving expeditions last longer.

Ore overflow: There's a few solutions to this. Earlier game is the miner's backpack, although the ender pouch and that other satchel thing (which I've never used since it was banned on servers for the longest time for a duplication bug) can come in handy. The Ender pouch really comes in handy later in game once you've set up something to automatically pull out of it.

Stone/etc overflow: Aside from throwing it out (some people, such as myself, are unable to see any block go to waste), there's the Digger's backpack, as well as the methods mentioned above.

Tools: Earlier game, you can make tools out of better materials than iron (like sapphire) to last longer, or diamond to mostly solve the tool problem. Mid-later game you can make electric tools, but then you need a way to keep charging them, which could mean a lappack, using an extra inventory slot.

Lighting: There's no good solution to this that I've found, and it's my current bottleneck.

* You can go mining in the dark, or use a mystcraft bright age, but then you have to deal with mobs and getting lost.

* A stack of torches only lasts me about 5 minutes. Any more than a stack and you're starting to use up valuable inventory space.

* You can carry wood and coal/charcoal to make more, but that's 2 more valuable inventory slots being used, and will only make 4 stacks. You can boost the efficiency of this a little by mining your own coal during the expedition, and use wood from mineshafts.

* If you're lucky enough to find a Moonworm Queen in the Twilight Forest, you can save some space at the cost of taking longer to place your light source (now a worm), and your fuel source is now torchberries, which grow in tf caves, meaning you need to go caving just to get light to go caving.

It'd be nice if there were some sort of bulk-torch-storage-and-placement device, like the moonworm queen. I saw the tri-torch and torch-placer, but it looks like those are just carts modules (haven't gotten into steve's carts, but I don't think it'll help me cave)

digitallyApocalyptic

Posted 08 June 2013 - 07:24 PM

digitallyApocalyptic

Advanced Member

Administrators

262 posts

IGN:GameStopper

Modpack:FTB Ultimate

My solution to electric tools is to use an Advanced NanoChestPlate, which combines jetpacking, armor and tool recharging in one handy item with a capacity of one million EU and the same protection as a Nano Chestplate.

Regarding lighting, you might want to check out the Sojourner's Staff from Xeno's Reliquary, an item which can hold eight stack of torches at any given time and, at a greater torch cost, can also place them up to 30 blocks away from the player. It automatically draws torches from your inventory to stay charged. You can also try a Quantum Helmet with lamp enabled in the config (however, you still have to deal with mobs and getting lost) or you can try out a Modular Powersuits helmet with the Night Vision module installed. The Night Vision module gives you a permanent Night Vision potion effect (so long as you are wearing the helmet) at a small (perhaps nonexistent) cost to the amount of energy stored in the helmet. I find that's it a great way of clearing out ores from the walls of the quarries that I make.

You could also use Linking Books for instant teleportation. Carry a Linking Book on you or in an Ender Pouch to get home and one or more books to make Linking Books to get back to where you were in the cave. This works cross-dimensionally and allows you to get more torches, drop off items, get new armor and so forth. I, personally, don't use this method, but I think it could be viable.

2. The advanced nano chest plate and diamond drill with enchanted books is the way to go. It really has you set for tools, armor, and even a jetpack. You could set up a system that fills an enderpouch/chest with torches and refills them when it runs out/you take some out, so you could have all the torches you need, provided you craft them before hand, with only the cost of 2 inventory spots.

Celestial Oblivion

Posted 08 June 2013 - 08:41 PM

Celestial Oblivion

Advanced Member

Administrators

409 posts

Location:USA

IGN:I_Love_Creepers

Modpack:Direwolf20 1.6 Pack

Yeah, the ultimate solution really seems to be a pair of enderpouches. One to put all your resources in so they get teleported back to base and sorted, the other filled with torches and some autocrafting system to keep it full (probably need either gates or applied energistics to manage that).

Also the Modular Powersuits armor can do everything the Advanced Nanosuit can (I think), so if that is cheaper you might want to check it out. The nightvision on the modular powersuit helm does not use any power.

ZL123 likes this

"The mind is the attribute of man. When man is born, he comes into existence with only one weapon with him- The reasoning mind."

ZER0-0

Posted 09 June 2013 - 07:34 PM

ZER0-0

Advanced Member

Contributor

295 posts

Location:Planet Earth

Modpack:FTB Ultimate

Yeah, the ultimate solution really seems to be a pair of enderpouches. One to put all your resources in so they get teleported back to base and sorted, the other filled with torches and some autocrafting system to keep it full (probably need either gates or applied energistics to manage that).

Also the Modular Powersuits armor can do everything the Advanced Nanosuit can (I think), so if that is cheaper you might want to check it out. The nightvision on the modular powersuit helm does not use any power.

Can the modular power suits charge tools like the advanced nano chest plate?

Also, mid to early game it is probably a good idea to either use the power tool (modular powersuits) or enchanted gem/diamond pickaxes. If you get unbreaking 3 on any of those, they will last a long time.

Celestial Oblivion

Posted 09 June 2013 - 07:39 PM

Celestial Oblivion

Advanced Member

Administrators

409 posts

Location:USA

IGN:I_Love_Creepers

Modpack:Direwolf20 1.6 Pack

Can the modular power suits charge tools like the advanced nano chest plate?

Also, mid to early game it is probably a good idea to either use the power tool (modular powersuits) or enchanted gem/diamond pickaxes. If you get unbreaking 3 on any of those, they will last a long time.

Yes, at least with standard IC powertools. My diamond drill and chainsaw both get recharged. Pretty nice as some suit upgrades let you generate power too.

"The mind is the attribute of man. When man is born, he comes into existence with only one weapon with him- The reasoning mind."

Iamtk421

Posted 09 June 2013 - 11:35 PM

Iamtk421

Advanced Member

Contributor

193 posts

Modpack:MindCrack Pack

You can also make sure you check every dungeon chest as you can find portal guns in them which make caving considerably easier as you can instantly get back to base to dump ores or(e) resupply tools/torches.